Magpie
by tibys
Summary: Whatever you want, Magpie can get it, with unbeatable customer service and unbeatable prices. Magpie, labelled a criminal organisation by the International Federation of Magic, has landed in the UK after the fall of the Dark Lord. Its leader, a woman of many faces, expected booming business. she didn't expect friendship, or relationships. Starts in 1983. Canon.
1. 1983: Business

Hi guys, So this is an idea that's been kicking around my head for a while. The character Magpie is my own. I am trying to keep this as cannon as possible, but some small changes might be made.

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Severus Snape lived a life of accursed monotony. Every day he woke up, worked a job that he hated, pretended to be civil with colleagues he could barely stand, and in the evenings he would retire to his quarters where he would read either a new book acquisition or the latest potions journals. He rarely left the castle, rarely socialized with his classmates from school, and rarely had a moment where he was truly content. He was a very young man to be so bitter, at the age of 23 many others would still be spending their days partying, going to discos, and generally having the irresponsible fun and self-discovery that so defined the early 20s. However Severus was no ordinary man, for his life effectively ended two years previously.

Two years had passed since the Dark Lord had fallen, and it had been two years since she died. Two years since he lost his purpose in life. The world had moved on from those dark days, and the peace that had been so tenuous in the early days had settled across Great Britain. People stopped looking at him with suspicion and revulsion, as other accused death eaters rose once again to positions of prominence and respectability, and nobody embodied this more than Lucius Malfoy.

It was Lucius Malfoy who disturbed what he had hoped would be a quiet summer evening. He was finally free from students, free from meddling bosses and colleagues, and free from distractions, for a blessed two and a half months. He had arrived to his childhood home in Cokeworth, a suitably bleak and miserable place, content to spend his few weeks of freedom hiding away in the quiet ruined house. And yet upon his arrival, he found an invitation for dinner with his old classmate waiting for him. Albus had suggested, in his meddling way, that he stay civil and in touch with people such as the malfoy's, however Severus had always managed to find excuses to duck their company while at school. Now that it was the summer holidays, he had little reason to not accept their invitation.

So his peaceful evening turned into one of preparation. While teaching Severus never gave much mind to his physical appearance, he had no one to impress and no reason to spend the extra time, and he had much better things to attend to as well. Such as reading—or sulking. That would not do for an invitation to the malfoys, so with a long suffering sigh he began to make himself at least acceptable for company, if not presentable. He would go, do his duty, and make nice with his old friends, but he didn't have to be pleasant company.

The evening drew out, there was a lot of small talk, gossip about this witch or that at the ministry. Narcissa spent the whole evening speaking about her son, a three year old whom severus found barely worth acknowledging. Despite his job, severus never much cared for children, and being three years old hardly counted as something worth acknowledging. Lucius boasted about his new position in the ministry, and belittled anyone who managed to resist on of his bribes. Severus dutifully ate his food, made all the appropriate noises expected of him, and counted down the minutes until he could politely excuse himself.

His counting was interrupted however when Lucius began to show off his latest black market acquisition.

"this should interest even you Severus" he said as he had his house elf fetch his new toy. And interest it did, it was a book, it was a very small tome, no more than a few centimeters thick and small enough that severus could easily slip it into his pocket. There was nothing extraordinary about its appearance, it looked like any other spell book, what marked it a unique and rare find however was its aura. The house elf, and Lucius for that matter, wore gloves while handling it, dark magic roiled off of it in waves, oily and oppressive. Severus could feel the books magic against the pores on his skin, it tickled his nose, and caused the hairs on the back of his neck to rise. This innocuous looking object was dangerous. And severus found it absolutely beautiful.

"its cursed obviously, but the story that follows it is truly remarkable. My contact found it in Northern Germany, locked away by muggle's beneath an abandoned church. The muggles, simple as they are, have a convoluted story that involves a card game, a devil, and their superstitious religion. But the magic of this book Severus is that it eats magical energy and stores it. Some poor wizard, or wizards as it feels, were the unfortunate victim of this book. And even more are probably very willing victims. My contact assures me that there is a way to take the magic stored here for yourself, but it will bestow a curse on your very soul, similar to the curse of unicorn blood. And once you die, and im assured it's always a painful and premature death, your magic is recalled to the book, and you yourself are trapped." His eyes glittered as he basked in the dark energy coming off the book. Narcissa looked at it distastefully, carefully drawing Draco closer to her, and further from the book.

"Lucius you know I do hate that thing" she sniffed, eyeing her husband carefully.

"and just what use is that then" severus finally drawled.

"Use, Severus of course I would never use it, I have all the power I need" Lucius drew himself upright "its about owning the most dangerous book in the magical world. One never knows when it might be useful." He wilted a little under his wifes glare and severus's questionng look.

"well it also served as a test to my new supplier" he snapped for his house elf to take away the book. Lucius paused, looking at Severus expectantly.

The man sighed, "and who is this new supplier, I thought you never changed contacts" he grudgingly asked, trying to act interested.

"Magpie" Lucius said simply, handing Severus a business card. He examined the card while Lucius continued "She—" he hesitated "it, the organization that is, can find you anything you need, anything you want. If it exists and you have the money, they can get it for you in a timely manner. Big or small, legal or not, it is all possible. They're new in town, and are dominating both the legitimate and illegitimate business around London. The ministry of course doesn't know what the do with this Magpie, and the aurors are tearing themselves apart over it. I just had to see this organisation for myself."

The business card was cream coloured, made of linen, and held no contact information except a stamp of a black and white bird. Or at least he thought it was a monochrome bird, however when he tilted it in the light, bright iridescent blue lined its back.

"How is the black market interfering with legitimate businesses" he asked curiously. Maybe he had misheard Lucius.

"Magpie will find you anything at a competitive price. Including those things that are not illegal in the slightest. I've heard of people going to this organization for very mundane things, such as potions that can be bought at any apothecary, tailored household charms, or even one fool asked it for flowers for his wife. " Lucius shook his head. "they've been nearly successful at wiping out all the competition in the underground, but they are also undercutting many above board business that thought they were safe to charge whatever prices they feel. "

The two men debated the likelihood of this business model succeeding, and Lucius exalted about the customer service until a reasonably late hour in the evening when severus finally felt that it was polite enough to call it a night without causing offense.

Xxx

"What exactly is the meaning of this Mr. Malinsky" Severus sneered down at the shop owner of Slug and Jigger Apothecary. This was the sixth such place he had visited on this abysmal trip to Diagon Alley, and his patience was wearing thin.

"This bill" his face twisted as he threw a piece of parchment back at the proprieter, who was now sweating profusely "is ludicrous. You are charging six times what you should be for very basic ingredients".

"I am s-sorry professor" Malinsky, an aging wizard, twisted his hat in his hands with anxiety, tried to use it to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "It's just, well there was a shortage" his voice faded as he saw the lines of cold rage take over severus's face.

His voice was barely above a whisper, "A shortage." It wasn't a question, so much a statement of damnation for this poor proprietor.

"y-yes sir, the whole country's supply was wiped out by a virulent disease" the man squeezed his eyes shut as he proclaimed this, bracing himself for violence.

Severus threw the paper in the Malinsky's face, causing the man to flinch violently.

"forget it" he snarled before storming out the shop.

A disease? Impossible, but it was the same story every apothecary in Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley told. There was a national shortage of basic, and essential potions ingredients. The prices for the needed herbs would quickly drain what little supply budget he had from the school, and the quality would be significantly below his exacting standards. It wouldn't do at all. If he had known about the diseases spreading across the British crops earlier in the year, he could have had Professor Sprout grow some essential herbs, and where there was always an emergency supply being grown at Hogwarts of all the basics, there was not enough to line his stores.

In a foul mood, and uncertain of his next move Severus went to a dark, dingy bar in Knockturn Alley to plot his next step. He could ask the headmaster for a temporary increase in the supply budget, but that still didn't solve the quality issue. He ordered a firewhiskey at the bar, and as he dug around his pockets for some loose change, his hand found a business card he had long forgotten about.

He took his drink and settled in the corner of the bar in a booth that overlooked everything happening. The place was deserted, the barman looked half asleep, and all was quiet. Carefully he drew out the business card, and ran his fingers across the stamped impression of a bird. Only instead of staying stationary as it did the last time he examined the card, the bird twitched its tail, and looked at him. Its beak opened and words unfurled themselves out of it delicately. The instructions were simple, _turn over._

'Bossy' he thought

On the back of the card were two prompts. Name and Item—next to the two prompts as a line where he would have to fill in the relevant information. He contemplated his next move for a while, thinking, and planning. After finishing his drink he put the card back into his robes and departed back to Hogwarts. He had a potential solution, but he also knew he needed to get explicit permission before he acted on it.

So to Hogwarts he went, his foul mood had hardly abated despite the possible solution presented to him. He hated asking for permission, he hated that he needed to, and in that moment, he hated his monotonous life. The headmaster was cheerful as ever, and seemingly oblivious to the dark mood the potions master was in. After the obligatory small talk, to which severus took a savage joy in responding to the polite chatter with one word replies, the headmaster leaned forward and peered over his glasses at the young man seated across from him.

"Since you are not here for small talk Severus, what then brings you to my office" he asked, seemingly amused at his employees dour behavior.

Severus outlined his problem, the disease and the national shortage succinctly.

"Ah, yes I had heard. A rather sudden and virulent disease from what I understand. So you'll be needing an increase in the supply budget then" Albus concluded.

Severus jerked his head, as if the get rid of an irritating fly.

"im afraid, the herbs that have survived this disease, are almost entirely unusable. No shop that I could find, and I did look, had anything in any respectable shape to use in potions. Im afraid, even if we did buy these outrageously overpriced ingredients, our potions would suffer if not outright fail." The headmaster was silent as he digested his words.

"So we are in a conundrum then Severus."

Before Severus could bring up his solution the headmaster was opening a drawer in his desk

"There is one possible solution I can think of" he searched his desk, and pulled out a book, tucked within the book was a very familiar business card, being used as a bookmark. Albus carefully withdrew the card and marked his space with an empty sweet wrapper from his desk.

"Have you ever heard of Magpie?" the headmaster offered out the business card. Instead of responding, Severus drew out its twin from his pocket.

"Of course, you had a solution already dear boy" the headmaster gently placed his card on the desk.

"And how is it, headmaster, that you have the card of a rather notorious black market dealer?" Snape drawled.

"Magpie may be new the Great Britain, but it is not a new organization. She's been thriving for years on the continent, I can only imagine her, or should I say it's, expansion to this country is taking advantage of our new found peace. If you are looking for my permission Severus, you have it in this matter. Magpie does not deal with only illegal contraband, it also has a very healthy legitimate business arm."

"And how can you be so sure their stocks will not be impacted by this disease? I have heard the Ministry is threatening to ban the whole organization, legitimate or not. Is it wise to take such a risk?" these were concerns that Severus couldn't quite answer himself.

"Magpie is an increasingly global organization, with the UK being just a small facet of it. Inherent in that nature is a diversified supply chain. As for the ministry, I wish them luck in tracking down and dismantling Magpie. It is a challenge that has been answered by many governments, including the international federation, and no one has yet to succeed."

Severus digested this as he looked at his card. It had reset itself to its default profile of a bird.

"if that is all Severus, I do believe an afternoon nap is beckoning" the old man smiled gently as he dismissed the potions master. "oh and Severus," Severus paused on his way out, his hand hovering over the door handle "if you wish to get a reasonable deal, don't mention my name." with a curt nod he let himself out.

Severus knew Albus held many secrets, and yet somehow this one managed to surprise him. He made his way down to his office, picked up quill, and carefully filled in the required information on the back of the card. As he wrote the ink disappeared into the card, and it went blank. For several tense seconds he wasn't certain what to do, did he mess it up? How long would he have to wait? How did this process work? He wished he had asked Lucius or albus about it before he jumped in. He let out a long breath he hadn't realized he had been holding when a date, time, and location appeared on the back of the card. He had just long enough to read it and memorise it before the card burst into flames, briefly stinging his fingers. Cursing he threw the card into an empty cauldron sitting by his desk, and watched it paper smolder to ashes.

Apparently his order would be ready by the next evening, and he would have to meet this Magpie at an address in London.

Xxx

A muggle pub.

Severus didn't know what to expect when he read the address on the back of the business card, he recognized it was in Camden, in North London, and the name sounded like a wizarding establishment, albeit one he had never heard of.

He had never heard of the establishment because it was indeed, a muggle pub. He was surrounded by the sounds of revelry, heavy guitar music strung through the air, a screeching that he supposed was singing assaulted his ears, and despite being dressed in his wizarding robes, and he was not the strangest sight to behold. Muggles surrounded him; some wearing copious amounts of leather while others wore hardly anything at all. Loud extravagant black and white make up, hair styled to stand in gravity defying spikes, and heads were partially shaved and were every unnatural colour under the sun. It was very much still summer here, as there were copious amounts of drinking, of fighting, and laughter echoing off the brick walls of the neighbourhood.

The pub, called Knowhere, seemed to be a quieter establishment, though no less dirty than the streets were. The smell of spilled alcohol, stale cigarettes, and a pungent smell of cannabis assaulted his nose as he passed a few patrons hovering near the door. Despite his dress, the patrons completely ignored him. Inside the pub it was quiet, an unnatural chemically induced quiet he was sure judging from the look of the few patrons inside the bar.

Unwilling to look out of place and uncertain, he walked confidently to the bar, readying his darkest scowl for anyone who would give him a hard time. He needn't of bothered, it was as if he was invisible to everyone. Logically he knew it was impossible for that to be the actual situation, and this was confirmed when the bar tender, a man with a blue Mohawk shouted a greeting at him "a minute mate" as he continued to make what looked to be an elaborate drink.

"Severus Snape. Potions Master" a voice whispered in his ear. It was a testament to how out of place Severus that he was caught entirely unawares by the woman who smoothly sidled up next to him, stood on her toes, to whisper into his ear. She gently wrapped her arm around his, resting her hand in the crook of his elbow as she gently guided him to a table in the back.

Severus Snape hated being surprised, he hated being touched, and he hated being in situations where he was not in control. He gathered all of his displeasure around him like a cloak and tried to infuse as much venom into his glare as he took a seat. He did notice she chose a perch that afforded them both a place against the wall overlooking the whole bar.

He might as well been glaring at a wall for all a difference it made. The woman in front of him was completely unfazed as she held out her hand. "Magpie, it's a pleasure to meet you Severus Snape"

He was annoyed at how she said his full name. That was twice now, like she was making a point. She was of average height and looks, her hair was dyed a dark black, but auburn roots were showing through, she was thin frame, and a face that was a touch on the narrow side, and her nose a touch on the large side. Multiple piercings lined her ears, and one delicate hoop in the center of her nose. Her eyes however were stunning, a deep dark blue, piercing and sharp, striking on an otherwise entirely unremarkable and forgettable person.

Her eyebrow raised as she kept her hand outstretched in front of her "I should say, Severus Snape, that I only do business with people who shake my hand" the corner of her lips quirked.

That was three times she said his name. Reluctantly he shook her hand, holding it for the briefest of seconds.

"Why do you keep doing that?" he groused.

"Doing what, Severus Snape?" She asked, a smirk slowly growing as she shot him a challenging look.

"Saying my name"

"Well, you've never confirmed whether you are indeed the man I am meeting, Severus Snape… You could be anyone, I had to make sure the person in the wizards clothing is my wizard" her accent wasn't quite British. She spoke like someone who had spent a lot of time in Britain, or around the accent, but was raised somewhere decidedly foreign. He just couldn't place where.

"Well, I am." He didn't like how familiar she was being. My wizard? Ridiculous.

"Well then, what do you prefer I call you, Severus, Snape, Mr. Snape, Professor, Prof—"

"Severus is fine" He immediately regretted his answer. Why would he say that? Wasn't he just complaining out how familiar she was being?

"If you don't mind, er Magpie is it? Is that really what you want me to call you?" he faltered; it felt unnatural addressing someone as an animal.

Her smile was back "Some people call me Magpie, some people make up a name, others just say hey you"

"So what? I could just call you witch then? Insufferable, overly familiar, witch?" his temper was flaring.

"If that's what you want to call me, I can dig" Her smirk never wavered during his rant.

"Well witch, Magpie, whatever your name is, I would prefer to skip pleasantries." This woman, this bar, the whole situation had him on a back foot, and he would rather have it completed as soon as possible.

She was nodding and was pulling jars out of a rucksack he had only just now noticed. His blood chilled as he looked around the bar to see if anyone was watching? She was going to do this here? This wasn't just a meeting place? Surely someone would notice their decidedly not muggle activities he worried. And yet as she lined up jars of potions ingredients, mainly herbs and a few fresh flowers, the whole pub remained completely ignorant and uninterested.

"You know Severus, Muggles are very easy to misdirect. You needn't worry about someone observing or listening in on us" her words were easy, and her eyes swept across the bar, taking in the complete indifference.

"Now, I believe these are the products you requested. Of course take your time to inspect them, and when you're ready, here is a cost breakdown." Her smirk was gone now, as she slipped into business mode and carefully placed a folded piece of paper in front of him.

Severus did inspect every jar, he pulled out every ingredient, he scrutinized every detail, he sniffed them; he looked at them under the light. He did pause his examination to briefly shoot a glare at the insufferable witch when he heard her snort as he took out his wand. He needed to check they weren't transfigured to look like the real deal. She waved him on, her amused smirk firmly back in place.

Finally, when he was satisfied that they were healthy, ideal specimens, he unfolded the invoice. His eyes widened briefly in surprise. Her prices and cost breakdown was well, competitive. It was far less than what he was expecting given the nature of her trade and the relative scarcity of these ingredients.

She laughed when she saw his suspicious glance at her, and he had to physically refrain himself from retesting the herbs.

"Don't look too surprised, we always promise competitive pricing. We are not interested in a single pay out from a customer over the barrel, we thrive on customer loyalty and repeat business"

"But this would be competitive even if there wasn't a blight afflicting our crops" he hissed suspiciously

She shrugged "your crops. This supply comes from the USSR, where we don't have the blight. Besides, you're not asking for anything that isn't perfectly legal to sell, why wouldn't we offer you a fair price?"

This would solve a lot of his problems, but it still bothered Severus "so what is the catch then? For this price and quality?"

She was smirking at him again, "you are a prickly wizard aren't you?"

"This wouldn't be my first time dealing with a less than respectable organization" he answered smoothly, his eyes examining her face for any falsehood.

"No catch," she shrugged lightly, her eyes twinkling "just keep us in mind next time you supply up. We are consistent, timely, and as you've mentioned, competitive. So do we have a deal?" she glanced at her right wrist, checking the time. He noticed she wasn't wearing a watch.

"Have other pressing matters to attend to?" he retorted. This brought another smirk to her face as she leant forward over the table, giving him her undivided attention.

"Not at all, but you made it clear you have pressing matters to attend to. Just trying to help you along."

He asked several more impertinent questions, about the provenance of the herbs, the fertilizations, and the supply chain. None of these factors actually made a difference, he just wanted to make things difficult for Magpie. Much to his chagrin she was completely prepared for every such question, and answered them with enthusiasm and wit. Finally, after a while he gave up and purchased the damn ingredients. Before he could rush away with his new purchase however she stopped him, and placed a fresh business card in his hand.

"if you need anything else Severus, please don't hesitate to contact us" he allowed a jerky nod and left quickly. He walked as fast as his legs would carry him without it looking like he was running.

xxx

Severus disliked the witch called Magpie greatly; she was overly familiar and so god damn cheerful. She actually reminded him of Albus, with that all knowing look and good humour in the face of life. It was annoying.

Unfortunately the quality of the raw ingredients she provided was disgustingly amazing. She truly was the best source for competitively priced potions ingredients, and her supplies were always fresher than what he could find in the apothecaries. So he found himself in her company several times a year. They never met in the same place again, and she thankfully never instructed him anywhere quite as loud and busy as Camden. They normally met in quiet cafes, pubs, or one time an abandoned warehouse. The only consistency was that her places were always in the Muggle world. When he asked her about this she just smiled and said, "If you can guess why I always meet in the Muggle world, ill tell you my name"

He, of course, was on his worst behavior at every meeting, and always questioned her relentlessly about whatever potion supplies he was buying. She never faulted in an answer. It started as a cruel goal of his, to catch her off guard and to humiliate her. To unbalance her as she so regularly unbalanced him. This ambition was soon forgotten as his unreasonable questions and her prompt answers became their routine. Soon he began to actually look forward to whatever witty retort she would come up with.

Severus knew from speaking with Lucius that Magpie very rarely sent the same person twice. In fact, the woman Lucius initially dealt with, he had only seen once. And from his description she was nothing like the woman Severus was dealing with. Lucius regularly seemed to have men handle his request from the underground organization.

The woman Severus dealt with, witch, as he had taken to calling her, first out of mean spiritedness and now out of habit, changed her appearance every time he saw her. It was subtle, different hair, different piercings, sometimes she had tattoos, a change in height, a subtle change in her facial features, or her eye colour would shift. She was a master of disguise, constantly wearing different faces, different bodies, but he always knew it was her. However she looked, she was always exceedingly plain. He began to wonder if that was manufactured, maybe a charm, but she always seemed to be so average it was almost aggressive.

He quizzed her on his ingredients, and very comfortably slipped into his professor persona as he attempted to intimidate her at every meeting.

"and this moss comes from where exactly?" He always tried to sound suitably condescending

"Denmark, from the bogs"

"water PH?" he drawled lazily

"8"

"Harvested when"

"full moon, three days ago, very fresh"

"With?"

"silver tools obviously"

"why do you handle my requests" He asked suddenly changing tack

"because you are paying me to" she smirked, guessing that wasn't what he was asking

"it seems as if you organization has no shortage of people, why then am I always stuck with you" he eyed her closely, trying to catch any hint of deception. He could read most people, but this woman was infuriating. Even when she made direct eye contact, his legilimancy was useless.

"Do you want someone else?" her eyebrow twitched, and she leaned forward curiously.

"Don't answer my question with another question" he snapped sharply

She would then pause, she always did when she contemplated whether she was going to tell him the truth or give some non-answer. This occasion he was in luck.

"Potions isn't my expertise, but I know more about the finer details than most. My—ah—superiors thought you would appreciate this." She tried to be nonchalant in her answer, and she would have fooled most. However Severus wasn't most, she was eyeing him just as carefully as he was her.

"You'll suffice I guess" it was his turn to try and fail to be nonchalant.

This continued for years, and their routine was cemented. He didn't enjoy the meetings he had with Magpie, but he didn't _not_ enjoy them either.

One thing that always defined their working relationship is that neither was ever late to an appointment. They both arrived perfectly on time. Until one day, that was no longer true.


	2. 1988: Friends

The trick to blending into a crowd, and losing a pursuer is to take a deep breath, calm down, and act as if you belonged. Walk as if you have a destination, behave as if you own the place. This was the advice that Magpie heeded as she slipped into a busy muggle train station. Her clothes were covered in what she hoped was soot and feathers were sticking out of her hair. A bloody menagerie, the only building with a back door had to be a bloody magical menagerie. If she found shit on these robes somebody was going to get hurt. Despite her dishevelled appearance, she calmed down, walked with a destination firmly in mind, and glared viciously at any gaze that lingered too long.

She came to a fork of entrances in the toilets. The women's had a line already reaching the entrance, so she took a quick right into the men's, pulling her hood over her face. The men's toilet smelled like stale urine and disinfectant. Somebody was going to get more than hurt before the day was up she thought darkly. She shut herself into the disable stall and took stock of her situation.

There were still at least two Aurors on her tail, and the toilets were going to be the first place they checked. They would have to take valuable time to make themselves at least half presentable for the muggle world, but she knew from experience that it took a few dozen seconds, not the needed minutes to make that change. Acting confident was one way to blend in, but she found the better way to blend in was to become a different person. Normally she would use quick charms and glamours to get away, but the Auror chasing her today meant she had to take more serious measures to change.

Magpie took a deep breath, centered on her self, and pictured her new visage, the face she was going to adopt. Asian, square jaw, a light dabbling of stubble, thick black eyebrows, over dark brown eyes, she smirked at herself, and a bright green Mohawk. She placed both hands over her face; she didn't have time to do this with silently with finesse so she whispered the spells under her breath. Magic sprang from her fingertips into her flesh, transfiguring her face, and her hair. She used her wand to do the rest of her body, she added a few inches to her height, and went for an athletic build. She transfigured her clothes as her body shifted, changing into a classic punk look. She wanted to be stand out from the plain muggle crowd, because it was the opposite of what the Aurors would expect. Her transfiguration was completed as she heard the first of the stall doors being slammed open. She quickly changed her wands into rings, wincing and sending a pulse of apology to the inanimate objects. As a general rule, she found, wands hated being transfigured, and would always be temperamental after such treatment.

"We know you're in here Magpie" called the gruff voice of her least favourite Auror.

"Just give in, there is nowhere to run, and we put anti-apparation charms over the whole building" the second Auror called reasonably as he opened another stall door.

She fiddled with her belt loudly, silently checking her charms were in place moments before they slammed her stall door open.

"Oy, you fooking mind mate?" her voice was deeper, as she turned to face the wizard. It was Cassius Proudfoot, a relatively young Auror who had just been assigned to her case. Poor Proudfoot blushed a deep scarlet as he stammered to apologize.

"Prick" Magpie moved to push past Proudfoot when she came face to face with the second Auror. Alastor Moody tried to hide his magical eye under a bowler hat, tilted awkwardly over his face, Magpie thought it looked ridiculous.

"Yeh alrigh' mate, what the fuck happened to your face." She couldn't resist the dig. His face really had not improved in all the years she had known him. She glanced down at his wooden leg, "wait," she paused to guffaw loudly "mate, are you a pirate or somfing?" she exclaimed obnoxiously at him while pointing at his wooden leg.

She could feel Moody's eyes examining her; he was harder to fool than the rest of the Aurors. She wondered if he suspected the depth of her transfiguration ability, or if he too bought into the rumors she had been spreading about the multiple heads of the Magpie organization.

Where it was true that all members of the organization operated under the Magpie moniker, there were only two real Magpies. Two people ran the entire organization, with the help of many lieutenants and street level workers located around the world. She was the muscle, the Magpie on the ground, and her partner was the Magpie in the nest, running the finer points of the business. Magpie on the ground was more a blunt tool, the face, the muscle, and the eyes, and Magpie in the nest was the true organizational brain that kept the whole business ticking along smoothly.

"Or something." He growled an answer to her mocking question as he moved to the side, letting her pass.

She sauntered forward, roughly brushing her shoulder against his as she passed, "arsehole" she muttered.

It was amusing to watch the emotions flick across his face, suspicion, uncertainty, and intense dislike.

"Rude" she hear Proudfoot say in surprise from behind her. She smirked, sniffed loudly, and took a quick glance in the mirror. Her transfiguration was perfect, and with a final smirk she left the toilet.

"Hey, you aren't going to wash your hands? That's just unsanitary!" shouted Proudfoot after her.

She took her time leaving the station, careful to act very muggle. She could feel Moody's eye on her the whole time. When they didn't leave after ten minutes, she decided to board the next train due to leave the station. She watched the Aurors as it pulled out, Proudfoot was surveiling the crowd, and Moody was watching the train depart intently. Long after the train left the station and the Aurors contained withing, and as the ticket collector began his journey down the carriage, Magpie went into the tiny toilet and disapparated to a dingy alley near her next appointment.

It was in the dark alley that she finally had a moment to catch her breath and reflect. There was a rat in her organization she knew. There was no other way several Auror's would have otherwise found one of her meeting locations. Initially she suspected her client, however after breaking one of his kneecaps she was sufficiently assured that he was as surprised and chagrined as she. She pondered the issue as she carefully undid her previous transfigurations.

"Scheisse" she cursed as her wand emitted a shower of blue sparks, singeing her fingertips. There were many reasons why she was pleased to have two wands loyal to her, but this was a rare occasion where she noticed its drawback. Her second wand sat lifeless in her hand as she undid the charm on it, it was sulking.

"Really?" she muttered, eyeing both of her instruments. "You're sparking and you're a bleeding opossum. Brilliant. Very useful" she berated the wood. "I had to do it, you know it, but fine, sulk. They would've only destroyed you if I was caught" she scolded the inanimate objects. It was ridiculous, but she truly believed every wand had a general awareness of the world around it, and a personality that wasn't entirely informed by the witch or wizard wielding it. And her wands were as stroppy as they came.

A few minutes later Magpie's normal face for her meetings with Severus was firmly on. She paused at the mouth of the alleyway where a teenager was waiting for her, his hand outstretched, waiting for payment. This was a very good sign. Her message was sent and presumably received.

When it became obvious that there was no way out of her Auror situation without fighting and fleeing, she sent out a quick signal to Magpie in the nest, her business partner, with a message for Severus. She frowned as she recalled the contents of said message, she tended to get a little caught up in the moment when she fought, something about the adrenaline rush she supposed. She could only hope that Severus did indeed stick around, despite it.

She glanced at the boy and smiled, "Terrence, how's school?" she asked softly.

Terrence was the son of one of her local contacts, and she wondered if it would be him they called on to send the message.

The boy shrugged and muttered under his breath non-committedly. "s'righ I guess" he finally said.

"That sounds like it's decidedly not alright. I'm in a bit of a rush now, but we will return to that topic some time very soon. Here is your payment, and a little extra for you dad, and I've told him to expect it, so don't bother trying to pocket it." She warned, handing him a neatly folded wad of cash.

"I would never," he protested weakly as he took the cash. She smiled indulgently, "You would. Ill see you later, give my best to the folks" With a final smile and a half hug, she was off to her next appointment. She was over 30 minutes late. It was completely unacceptable. She'd have to comp Severus on this one.

xxx

She was late. Severus had been dealing with this woman for five years and there was one thing that he was certain of. Magpie was never late.

He didn't notice it at first, he himself had been quite early to their meeting, so he had passed the time reading a new book he had bought earlier that day to pass the time. So engrossed in his tome he was quite surprised to glance up at the clock and had seen that it was already ten minutes past the meeting time. He wondered briefly if he had gotten the address wrong. But he was quite sure this was the correct place.

Severus ordered a drink, and nervously sipped it. He was in a quiet bar in Watford, another town North of London. Twenty minutes after the meeting time Severus's eyes were scanning the bar, watching all the patrons closely, trying to ascertain whether they could somehow be the cause of this unwelcome tardiness when the door opened and a loud group of children entered the pub. Severus placed his hands casually in his pocket and fingered his wand, as his eyes flicked around the surrounding area and tried to tune out the incredibly loud group of children trying to get the barman to sell them alcohol.

"Oy you!" one of the boys shouted, pointing at Severus. He was surprised and did his best to level the most frightening glare at the child, and was rather put out when he guffawed in response.

"Ya, she sed youd do somfink like tha'…some bird wanted me to tell you, tha' shes running a bit late, and—" the boy raised his fingers to create air quotes "and teh 'Chill yer bones wizard man'" he snickered before turning around to heckle the barman once more.

He was so shocked that he didn't get a chance to ask the boy anything more before the bar owner threw the lot out. He scrutinized the children as they loudly left, shouting curses at the barman "feck off ya cunt!" one yelled "you fooking twat" another shouted on their way out.

How had she spoken to the kid?

At exactly thirty-three minutes past their meeting time she finally walked into the bar. She was brushing what looked like soot off her arms, and much to his surprise, pulled a few feathers out of her hair.

"I am so sorry Severus" she started apologizing before she even reached his perch at the bar. "My last appointment held me up, and it was rather er unexpected" she finally pulled up a stool next to him and sat heavily.

"Seeing as you are still here, I trust my message found its way to you?" she signalled the bartender and quietly ordered a drink.

Severus glowered at her, now that she was here, he suddenly felt silly worrying over her. "Chill your bones" he paused, "Wizard man?" he hissed with venom. Her eyes twinkled in amusement, and coughed quietly to hide a laugh.

"Yes… I sent the message while I was otherwise occupied…in the heat of the moment as they say. I suppose I was a little flippant" she thanked the bar tender as she received her drink.

Severus noticed with some satisfaction the slight colour tingeing her cheeks as she took a long pull from her drink.

"And what exactly caused you to be" he paused again, this time some colour rising in his cheeks "in the heat of the moment?"

She threw a calculating sideways look at the man, paused, and took another long pull from her pint.

 _Thunk_

She put down her pint with an audible noise. She leaned back in her stool, brushed her hair over one should, and smirked darkly as she said with a feigned casualness, "Oh you know, dealing with a rat and escaping justice, that sort of thing."

Severus narrowed his eyes at her, trying to ascertain whether her words held any meaning, or if she was being intentionally vague. He opened his mouth to retort when he was rudely interrupted by a gasp of pleasure from the witch next to him. She plucked the book out from under his hand and flipped through it almost lovingly.

"The latest Fridesworth book, you must be one of maybe 30 people in the world who has bought these books. How far have you gotten? Have you read her other books?" Severus's previous consternation with the witch turned to amusement as she all but gushed about the books.

In truth, he found himself rather surprised by her. The book was a treatise on the origin of magic; a work of genius, but it took a monumental level of study and patience to read it. It held pages and pages of formula, laborious ancient rune translations, and numerous anthropological studies. It was, simply put, a very dense book filled with useful and interesting ideas if one was willing to work for it. It certainly wasn't a book for the casual reader. He felt a curious feeling in his chest as he watched the realization of what she had just done cross her face, her cheeks tinged with colour again as she hastily—and gently—placed the book back in front of him. She even grabbed his hand and placed it back where it was resting on top of the tome.

"Of course, I'm sorry. You came here to do business, and not only was I late, I have been unforgivably forward" the colour was spreading to her ears as she busied herself with her bag and pulled out the familiar potion jars. "These are on the house as they say. Free of charge, as an apology from us here at Magpie."

Severus found himself once again surprised by the witch. "Don't be foolish, of course ill pay for this" he found himself saying quickly, but even as he started to object she was shaking her head, her face very serious, and still a little pink.

"Severus, please, my behaviour is inexcusable. I haven't met our standards that our customers come to expect." She took the folded piece of paper that was tied to one of the jars and ripped it in half.

"So what, Magpie will just absorb this loss?" He didn't know why he was arguing this point, he should accept the gift without questioning its motivations, and use the money instead for some needed upgrades to the student labs. And yet this did not quite sit well with him, she was providing him with a commodity and he insisted on paying for it. He didn't want to feel indebted somehow.

"Well, not exactly" she hesitated "Magpie doesn't actually lose any money, because the fault lies with me, the money comes out of my payment." Severus snorted but was interrupted as she continued to explain quickly. "Not that it's a problem Severus, I can more than cover the cost of this. But it is company policy; our apologies have to be in meaningful actions as well as words when we mess up. Customer loyalty and satisfaction to think about of course."

"You're apologies are just making me cross. You can apologize to me by letting me pay for my purchases" Severus said stiffly.

She was already shaking her head, "Severus, stop being so bloody difficult, and take this free stuff or give me a viable alternative way to apologise" she was starting to get frustrated. This man was unbelievable. Never had she had so much trouble giving away free goods.

"You can make it up to me by discussing this book with me. When I finish it of course." He didn't know why he suggested it, he should've just taken her up on the offer on the table and not ask questions. He supposed it was about his principles, they had a firm business relationship, and he didn't want the dynamic to change in this particular instance. It definitely had nothing to do with the possibility, small on that it was, that he had finally found someone he could have a spirited conversation about something he was interested in. And it definitely had nothing to do with the warmth blossoming in his chest as her eyes lit up at the suggestion.

"It's rather unorthodox, but if you really are sure" she reluctantly gave him the chance to back out of his suggestion, and even if Severus wanted to, he couldn't when she was looking at him with such hope. He nodded stiffly, put a bag of coins on the bar between them and quickly turned his attention back to his long forgotten drink.

"On one other condition" he said quietly, talking into his drink. She didn't say anything, waiting.

"I can't keep calling you witch, or Magpie. I want a name." she studied him quietly, thinking, wondering what to tell him. They had a version of this conversation several times in the early days of their business, but he hadn't mentioned it since. Instead he opted to speak in a way the negated the use of names.

"Mira" she said simply.

"Mira" he liked the way the name felt, the way it rolled off his tongue, and he liked the small seed of warmth that was growing steadily stronger the longer this encounter continued.

"Is that your real name?" he asked curiously, throwing another sideways look at her, his eyebrow quirked.

She laughed, "Of course it's not, but why should that matter?"

The two fell into a silence, both feeling the subtle shift of their relationship. She didn't know why she was so comfortable with this man, and she didn't know what possessed her to give him a name so close to her real one. She didn't trust anyone, and Severus was no exception, but despite this she found herself warming towards him. She was a little less paranoid around him, she was neglected to change her disguises frequently enough, and she had settled on a face that required the bare minimum of her transfiguration skills.

Unwilling to follow this train of thought further; she gently touched his elbow "Thank you Severus. I think you've somehow managed to salvage this difficult day I've been having" Severus glanced at her quickly at the serious sincerity in her tone.

The two didn't speak much beyond that, instead opting to sit in a companionable silence and both parties finished their drinks.

Normally it would take Severus several months to make it through a dense text such as Fridesworth, but for some reason he found he could hardly put the book down. He carried it with him everywhere, ready to pass any free time he found himself with in between his teaching duties. A few days shy of a month had passed when he scribbled the final notes in the margins in the book and he turned the last page. His brain felt full, occupied with all the new knowledge, the implications of the equations and the argument that he didn't hesitate to pull out his latest Magpie business card.

On the back he wrote carefully

 _Severus Snape_

 _Fridesworth. Drinks. Hogsmeade?_

He understood that the cards were a communication system between himself and the organisation, he just wasn't certain whether his requests went directly to his witch, or if it went somewhere centralized. But he held his suspicions that the name was the key. His suspicions were confirmed when he receive his response. He was thankful he was alone when he read the response, relieved there were no witnesses to his surprised snort of laughter and brief, genuine smile.

 _30 minutes. Hogshead Tavern._

It seemed she was eager.

xxx

Severus managed to slip out of the castle without anyone noticing or stopping him. He hurried over to the Hogshead Tavern, his copy of Fridesworth carefully tucked under his arm. He mentally reviewed the book, and tried to order his thoughts regarding it. What were the things he found most interesting? How did this compared to the previous works of the author? He had thought there were a few small logical fallacies in the reasoning that he was keen to discuss with someone else. He hoped this Magpie, Mira, was as keen on the subject as she suggested.

When he entered the tavern, the barman simply grunted at him and motioned to a door to the left of the bar, next to a sad darts board that was missing half the darts. He was relieved to see that Magpie had reserved the private sitting room, he didn't particularly want to be seen with her so near the school, mostly because he knew his colleagues were unbearably nosy.

Two winged chairs were next to a table where two drinks rested. Seated in one of the chairs was Mira herself, her own copy of the book and a battered notebook in her lab. He noticed with a small amount of amusement that there was also a box of muggle pencils, all freshly sharpened thrown onto the table haphazardly.

"I hope you don't mind that I've taken the liberty of ordering you a drink." Everything about her was tense in barely contained anticipation. It had been years since she had someone to talk to about her obsession, and she was intensely curious what perspective a man like Severus would have about the book.

"Not at all" he eased himself carefully into a chair, and glanced questionably at the drink.

"It's a firewhisky, you seemed like a firewhisky guy" she shrugged. He raised his eyebrows. He was indeed a firewhisky guy.

There was an awkward pause, both waiting for the other to start, and then at once they both opened their mouths to speak, and then laughed at the ridiculousness of that.

"Please, after you" Severus said politely, motioning to her.

"Oh, well, I guess, what do you think of it? In comparison to her other volumes on the subject, do her arguments hold?"

And so their hesitant conversation began. Both parties relaxed as they lost themselves in academic pursuit, and mental sparring. Severus carefully outlined his slight reservations about the conclusion, before he even finished his argument she was already flipping through the book, pulling out references that would help her counterpoints. Their conversation lasted late into the evening, and it would've continued even longer if the barman hadn't knocked quietly and informed them that it was last orders and that he would be shutting soon. Neither Severus nor Mira were happy to let the other have the last word, so they decided they would continue their debate another time, very soon.

And so began a tradition for the two souls.

They took turns suggesting a book to discuss and coming up with meeting places. They met with some frequency, and their topics strayed, they always spoke broadly about magic and spell casting. Severus quickly learned that Mira was rather brilliant when it came to topics such as magical theory, spellcasting, duelling, or transfiguration, but her knowledge was decidedly lacking in most other topics. Her disproportionate knowledge didn't bothered Severus, as the subjects she did have knowledge of, that knowledge was vast.

And so they met, they spoke, they debated, they argued at first. Later they would meet just for the companionship. Severus would get some work done, away from his lonely quarters and irritating colleagues, and she would bring a book or would sort through paperwork. It was one evening in the summer; Severus had suggested they meet at his house in Cokeworth, when they acknowledged the change in their dynamic. He was sitting on one end of the couch, catching up with the last few issues of the Potions Quarterly Journal, and Mira was lounging on the other arm of the couch, writing (with muggle pens he noticed with some amusement) and reviewing several papers when she paused suddenly and looked at him. She looked at her surroundings; she looked at the way she was stretched out on his couch, in his home. The empty bottle of wine they wordlessly shared that evening, and she felt something tighten in her stomach. What was happening? What was this? Her stomach coiled tightly with nerves. This should feel unfamiliar and wrong, and it frightened her that it didn't. Instead she was, content.

"Severus" she said suddenly, interrupted the peaceful silence they had shared that evening.

He hummed in acknowledgment, marking his place and glanced up at her questioning.

"Are we friends?"

"I—" he started and then paused.

The question took him by surprise. He had never really thought about he supposed. He noticed the same things she did, the way they sat, the regularity of their meeting, and he looked at her expression. She looked puzzled, but didn't seem too put out by the idea. He hoped.

"I guess you could say that we are." He finished softly, and as he said the words, he watched the puzzlement drain her face and be replaced with understanding. As if she had solved a particularly challenging problem.

"Huh." Was all she said, her stomach unclenching. She relaxed against his sofa once more before returning to her work. As she said this, Severus felt something shift, an anxiety he hadn't noticed loosened, and gentle warmth spread to his chest.

And so the two continued their evening, quietly doing their own things, in the company of the other, as friends.


	3. 1990: Friends With Benefits

Authors Note: OK, so this chapter is where it gets R rated. Basically friends with benefits, i'd read the beginning but if that really bothers you, just skip most the chapter. This is my first time writing a scene like this, so feedback is appreciated!

1990

Mira was distracted and she didn't understand what was causing it. She followed her normal routines, she woke up every morning, spent a few hours training, going through the motions of her modified tai chi. She fumbled in her footwork, and her reaction times were delayed. She lost track of her daily workouts in her gym, and she let several painful hits through her normally impeccable guard in her evening sparring sessions. She doubled down on her routines, hoping they would eventually centre her before finally breaking in frustration when her sparring partner scored a hit across her temple that made her vision swim, and required some emergency help from Magpie in the nest, her partner in crime, Dotty.

Dotty was one of the most gifted creatures Mira had ever come across in her life. She was testament to her species, and one of the most brilliant organisational minds alive, she'd bet on it. Dotty was also a creature that was often underestimated and ignored, something both Magpie's took advantage of. Mira would steal the show; she would be the centre of attention, while Dotty worked quietly in the background. Dotty was a house elf that was like a sister to Mira, the pair had grown up together and were the only family the other had. Dotty was no ones house elf however; having grown up with Mira, she never learned the traditions and culture of house elves, a fact that was reflected in their co-habitation, cluttered mess that it was. She was very much her own being, with very vocal opinions.

Dotty could also be very short tempered when it came to dealing with the distracted Magpie in the field. Mira was lounging in a chair in one of their workrooms, ranting about her frustrations to Dotty, who was bent over a potion, carefully stirring one concoction while keeping an eye on another cauldron that was simmering under direct moonlight.

"And bloody Jeffers, managed to land a cracking hit Dots, I should've seen it coming, it's ridiculous. I have so much energy, I feel warm and yet time and time again I keep letting my guard down. I lost track of how many reps of squats I had to do yesterday Dots! I had to start all over again." She pouted in the corner, holding a bloody towel to her temple.

Dotty grunted in response, and continued chopping her ingredients.

"And now this injury, can't you take a look and heal it already? It really hurts." She was being petulant and she knew it.

Dotty glanced over quickly and scoffed, "you is probably needing stitches, do it yourself. The salve is over there, put on your big girl pants and suck it up. You need the practice." Dotty groused, returning her focus to the potions.

Mira sighed dramatically and reluctantly opened a cabinet to fetch the tin she needed. She went to another drawer where they kept their needles, and plopped herself heavily in front of a vanity of mirrors. Normally Dotty indulged her and sewed her back up, if she was really lucky or if she was needed on assignment somewhere they would just heal it with a bit of magic. But the elf was right, it had been a while since she sewed herself back up, the practice would suit her. It didn't stop her from grumbling under her breath the whole time though.

After a few minutes of this Dotty finally snapped, tired of her quiet workspace being disrupted, "Oh for merlin's sake, just go and find a human and get laid!"

Her outburst shocked Mira into silence. Was that her problem? When was the last time she had gotten laid? She paused as she tried to remember, and her stomach dropped when she realised that it was much longer than she realised. She had been so busy with the business, keeping up with demand, and with a few rogue Aurors that she had let her own needs fall by the wayside. She swallowed as she tied off the thread on her temple, she was a woman after all, and apparently she had been neglecting herself recently.

But who?

In the past she would go to a club, find a quick partner and be done with it. Other times she had found someone in the organisation, a willing friend who was happy with a purely physical, no strings attached like relationship. She was never really a fan of the one night stand solution, but equally there was no one currently in the organisation that she felt that she could have a 'friends with benefits' relationship with. She didn't really have friends to begin with. That was except—she stilled, not quite daring to finish her thought.

Would he go for it? Or would such a suggestion kill their friendship. It wouldn't do to rush into the situation, she'd think about it, mull over the best way to broach to subject with Severus. All the while her distraction continued, knowing the root of the problem somehow made it worse.

She saw Severus a few short days later. He wanted to know if she was free for the evening, and if she was amenable to company. It was Easter holiday and he suggested his house for a meeting place. She wasn't sure how she was going to broach the subject, or even if she would. She spent the first half of the evening fidgeting, distracted from their light conversation, and was quieter than usual. He frowned at her in concern, wondering what was bothering her. They had been friends for years at this point, and never before had she been so distant with him.

"What's wrong?" He set aside his book and gave her his full attention. She bit her lip nervously and studied him in silence for a moment, making a decision.

"Severus, as you know I am a woman." His eyebrows rose in confused astonishment.

"I hadn't noticed," he drawled sarcastically in response.

"I uh—" she coughed nervously, "as a woman, a very busy woman, I sometimes neglect my needs." She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks.

Severus eyed her carefully, "are you hungry? I could make something," he gestured weakly to the kitchen.

"No," she said perhaps a touch too quickly before coughing again, "I'm not uh hungry." _Necessarily_ she added in her head, "I was talking about more er biological needs that I've been neglecting." She could feel the heat radiating from her neck as well as her cheeks now and she cringed, this was not going very well so far.

"Biological—oh" it was Severus's turn to blush now as he hastily took a sip of wine,"I uh, forgive me, if I am keeping you from something." He stuttered, taking another sip of wine.

"No you're not Severus, its just" she trailed off. Both of them sat in awkward silence, studiously avoiding each other's gaze.

"I wondered, if maybe, you also-ah- neglected certain biological needs." She gripped her wine glass like a life preserver, wishing she could disappear into her seat. She didn't remember this conversation being so hard or awkward before. Severus was silent for a little too long for comfort.

"Forget I mentioned it, I should go." She downed the contents of her glass and started to grab her things, her face burning in embarrassment. She stilled when he grabbed her arm.

"What, exactly, are you proposing Mira?" his voice was deep and his words were slow, deliberate, and quiet. She never noticed it before, but that tone did funny things to her nerves.

"I would suggest, if that were the case, that we could maybe come to an, er, arrangement of sorts." She said quietly, staring into her empty glass. She waited for his rejection, one hand already on her purse, ready to go.

He took a deep breath, "what would such an arrangement entail." He murmured. She looked at him finally, his face was flushed and he looked uncertain, rattled.

"Not a relationship, not love." Her face twisted at the word slightly, "just mutual physical attention to our biological needs. Friends, of course, with maybe some benefits." She met his eyes, feeling him probing her mental barriers, she acquiesced some and let him access her surface thoughts and feelings, a sign of goodwill.

He broke eye contact and looked her up and down, so quickly that if she hadn't been watching him closely, she would have missed it. Carefully, very deliberately and very slowly, giving her plenty of time to object or move away he put his hand on her cheek, his fingers curling below her ear.

"This isn't your real face is it?" he asked.

She smiled sadly, turning her face into his hand, "No, but it is close. The closest of any of my faces."

His gazed dropped again, this time very deliberately drinking her in, "And your body?" he asked quietly, pulling his hand away and resting it on her shoulder.

She looked at him carefully, trying to figure him out, before she closed her eyes and exhaled, letting her glamors and spells melt away. There were subtle changes across her form, when out on the town she made herself smaller, slighter, a more unassuming target. If she was going to do this with Severus, she at least owed him her real body.

Lean muscle appeared along her arms, she felt her jeans restrict slightly as her legs grew slightly larger. Her stomach flattened, bruises and scrapes appeared all across her body. She was a woman who spent several hours daily training in martial arts and duelling. She had the muscled body of an athlete that showed this lifetime of training, and not the dainty girl she liked to pass herself off as.

Her blush returned in force, and for a moment she was afraid to open her eyes, afraid of his reaction. She never found her body particularly attractive, and wondered if he felt the same. Men preferred softer women, and she was anything but that. His breathing hitched, it seemed to echo across the quiet room, and she finally mustered to courage to gauge his reaction. More colour had appeared in his cheeks, and his eyes were intent, he was as serious as she had every seen him.

"If I agree to this," he was facing her fully on the couch now, his books and wine long abandoned on a side table, "you swear that nothing will change in our friendship? That we can end this whenever the other feels like it? You wont lie to me; change yourself? And you would acknowledge that is would be purely physical, not an emotional relationship?" his hand was resting on the back of the sofa now, inches from her, yet he seemed hesitant to cross that bridge until he was certain.

She nodded, "those would be the conditions, Severus. It wouldn't all be purely physical of course, not all the time. Only when we both agree, and it has to be mutually beneficial. We need to communicate with each other what that means, but yes. It would end whenever one of us feels like it should. Friends first, with some added benefits." She couldn't believe she was having this conversation with him. That he was actually receptive to it.

"I can't give you my real face Severus, but I can give you everything else, uncharmed and unglamored, you can even check for yourself." He nodded, his eyes darting across her body now in curiosity.

"And when—" he trailed off.

She gave him a slow, hungry smile, "Whenever you feel comfortable enough, and ready." She gave him an out, an out she dearly hoped he wouldn't take.

Slowly, he moved closer to her, stepping into her personal space. His hand tangled in her hair, and he stared pointedly at her lips, and after giving her every chance to pull away he gently pressed his lips against her in a chaste kiss. It didn't remain chaste very long. She responded immediately, pushing herself closer to him, practically pulling herself onto his lap, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He responded positively to her aggression, and with a growl he kissed and nipped his way down her neck, and started to undo the front of her robes, eagerly pushing them off. They fought for dominance, each attacking each other in a hunger that both parties found surprising and invigorating. She skipped most the foreplay, eagerly crawling a top of him and set to work on his trousers. He did the same, making quick work of her jeans. She paused in her ministrations to quickly climb off of him, take off her trousers, before resuming her position clad only in a pair of plain black panties.

Severus rested one hand on her hip, his other finding her core, groaning when he felt the evidence of her arousal. When she finally got his trousers undone he flipped her and taking control of the position over her, kissing his way down her chest. One hand pulled her underwear away while the other worked to kick off his own trousers.

Severus paused at her entrance, his frenzy cooling as he looked at her carefully, questioningly. She grabbed his arse and pulled him closer, and wrapped her legs around his waist in response. He groaned, and slowly lined them up and entered. Once he started he couldn't seem to stop, his breath was coming out in pants, and he felt the sweat leaking through the many layers he still had on.

However long it had been for Mira, it appeared it had been even longer for Severus, for he did not last long before reaching his climax. He shuddered, swore, and half collapsed on top of her, muttering rapid apologies.

"Severus, hey, its fine. Look at me" she grabbed his jaw and forced him to look at her, he was flushed from exertion and embarrassment, his eyes burned with shame at his performance.

She kissed him slowly, deeply. Without breaking their embrace she wrapped her fingers around his, and very slowly guided his hand over her body, starting at her neck, working her way down between her breasts, and finally to her centre. Severus groaned into the kiss, understanding what she wanted. He moved hesitantly against her at first, unsure what she would like, and she carefully guided him, moving her hand over his, showing him the way she wanted to be touched.

"Like this?" he was licking and kissing the shell of her ear now, moving down her neck, sucking and biting. She nodded her head, canted her hips and let out a deep moan as he hit just the right spot.

"Harder Severus, more fingers," she was gasping and keening, bucking underneath him. He increased his tempo, added a third digit into her and crooked them just so, he felt her desperation, and could feel her walls stiffening against him.

"Tell me what you need, show me." He was biting her neck now, noticing her gasps every time he did, loving the way she arched into him.

"So close" she whined, tossing her head to the side and biting her lip.

She grabbed his hand once more, adjusted his thumb so it rubbed the side of her clitoris. Severus dutifully adjusted his grip, watching her in awe. She came with panting sobs and curses, he slowed his movements, amazed at the feeling of her inner walls pulling his fingers, of the warmth that flowed over him as she finished until he was gently massaging her. He stilled entirely when she grabbed his face again, and placed wet kisses over every inch she could reach, murmuring her delight.

All in all the whole encounter lasted less than fifteen minutes, neither party was fully undressed. He was collapsed on top of her, his head resting on her chest, and she languidly wrapped her arms around his neck, catching her breath. She didn't know how long they lay like that, content in a place that was neither awake nor asleep, heavy and satisfied.

She must've dosed off because she was startled when she felt a throbbing desire in her core as her stomach muscles clenched around Severus's ministrations. He was slowly kissing his way up her stomach, starting around her belly button, and lifting her shirt as he went, exploring her body at his own pace. She twined her fingers through his hair and hummed happily, allowing him his ministrations.

"I can make you a salve to put on these bruises" he murmured, licked around a particularly nasty greenish yellow one on her ribs.

She hummed, "I should hope so, being a world class potions master." She felt his smile against her skin; one hand was now on her breast, gently squeezing over her bra, his other hand was stroking down her side, drawing lazy designs.

"I even devised my own recipe, it should help with the pain, and they will heal in half the time. Better than anything Magpie sells" He sounded smug; he coaxed her to sit up, so he could slide her shirt entirely off, and unclasp her bra, leaving her fully bare before him.

He hummed, taking her in, his hands tracing delicately over her breasts, tweaking her nipples, and the frowned at a few of her more colourful injuries, "what happened here?" he traced a long straight bruise on the side of her ribs that was a dark shade of purple, it was more defined than most of her injuries.

She smiled, unused to seeing the man so relaxed and comfortable, happy to see this other side of him. She started on his many buttons on his frock coat, "I was hit with a wooden stick while sparring yesterday." She pushing his black coat over his shoulders and raised her eyebrows at a white button up shirt he was wearing beneath that.

"Perhaps we should add you on as a supplier if your salve really is what you say it is," frustrated with his buttons, she undid the top few and lifted the shirt over his head, throwing is aside with a satisfied sigh, "there you are, now we are even."

She examined him; he was pale, and scrawny, with a little muscle definition on his arms, probably from carrying heavy potions, but not much else in the muscle department. It was a departure from her usual, but she found him attractive all the same, it suited him.

Colour rose in his face, and he studiously avoided her eyes, instead focussing on her bruises, "I never agreed to become a supplier, simply offered some to you."

She frowned, he was tense again, and hunched into himself slightly. She ran her hands down his back, sat up and swapped positions so she was on top of him. She sighed, as it was her turn to explore his body at her own leisure. He relaxed again under her ministrations, his bout of self-consciousness passing as soon as it came.

Round two lasted longer, both parties took their time, talking, laughing, and discovering their new dynamic.

After they both finished for the second time, Mira casually picked up her abandoned book, Severus poured her another glass of wine, and they continued to discuss the merits of the individual arguments of the book until late into the evening.

They were friends, first and foremost, but they were friends who could also take very physical comfort from each other, whether that meant they were having sex, or simply taking pleasure in physical contact with anther person, often curled up together on a couch, or walking arm and arm with each other outside.


	4. 1994:Inmate

1994

Albus Dumbledore hadn't been to Germany is many years. In all of his travels around the world, he always seemed to find an excuse to not stop in the country. And yet, he was worried. So here he found himself, in a beautiful country that held such bad memories for him, at a prison no less. A muggle prison holding a very special inmate he was quite keen to speak to.

He was dressed in a deep plum muggle business suit, and carried with him a briefcase, filled mostly with sweets, one could never be too prepared after all. He explained in German to the officer in the entrance gate that he was a lawyer, who was here to visit his client. Upon hearing the name of the inmate the guard narrowed her eyes, but a well-timed confundus charm glossed over any suspicions she may have held.

He filled out the appropriate paperwork before being escorted into the private visiting room, reserved for client council discussions. The inmate in question appeared quite relaxed, lounging casually in her chair, examining her nails. Her hands were cuffed, with the chain running through a loop that was bolted to the table, which was in turn bolted to the floor. Her feet were similarly restrained though not connected to the floor. Her hair was a deep unnatural red color with darker roots shining through, and she had the look of someone who spent a fair amount of time outside in the sunlight. It was all a lie of course, a clever ruse. The woman sitting before him was the most wanted criminal in the magical world.

Albus had a copy of her file; it was one that he had read so many times that he had memorized it. Not that it was very thick however; it was instead filled mostly with deductions and guesses, because very little was known about her. They weren't even sure of her gender, or if she was indeed one person, or many working as a group. Because of the numerous gaps in the official knowledge of this woman, she was simply known by her codename, Magpie.

Albus of course knew more about her than what was officially on record. In fact, he'd known this witch nearly her whole life. He accepted that he was partially at fault that she became a criminal in the first place. Though it was her own arrogance and ambition that fuelled her journey to the top of the most wanted list.

"Du sprichst deutsch." She stated plainly.

"Ja, tatsächlich. Sollen wir in deutsch oder englisch sprechen?" Albus knew a great many languages, but German was one that he had neglected over the years. He was slightly relieved to hear her agree to speak in English.

"Besides, it'll be a nice break, and I think the guard outside the door doesn't speak English" the woman lounged, apparently at ease, but her eyes followed his every move, analysing him, probing for information.

Albus cast a muffilato charm around the room before greeting her properly, "you are a hard woman to find, is it still Sally? Or Ida?" he enquired kindly. She had the habit of changing her name on an almost weekly basis; she shed names nearly as much as she shed faces. Her identity was always changing, and under extreme measures, her apparent gender would change as well.

"That depends Albus, is this a social visit or are you here for business?" she made eye contact and he felt her gently probing along his mental barriers, looking for weakness. He of course was expecting this and tsked lightly in warning. She smiled sharply and ceased her legilimancy with a shrug.

"Business, though I am always hopeful that we could have a social catch up." She scoffed and twitched her head as if there were an annoying fly circling it.

"Like you could ever have a social visit you selfish, manipulative old man. If it's business then Magpie will suffice. What do you want? You are ruining a month long operation I have running here" she groused, irritation colouring her tone.

Albus glanced around the muggle prison before responding. Her criminal enterprise lived mostly in the wizarding world, however it wasn't entirely unknown for her to do business in the muggle world as well. Her chief outstanding charge was multiple counts of breaking the international statute of secrecy after all.

"I want to hire you" he said simply, crossing his hands lightly on the table as he peered over his glasses at her.

She laughed, incredulous. "Albus bloody Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, The supreme Mugwump tracks me, the leader of arguably the largest criminal empire in modern history, down to a prison in the middle of nowhere, asking in what I suspect is a slight burst of madness, to hire me. You're getting senile old man." He sighed at her description and display of mild narcissism. It was ridiculous, but he was indeed a worried old man.

"Come now, we've worked together in the past" he admonished lightly. She scoffed, "Dumbledore, you've never hired me, you paid a premium for gossip I had no use for, so you could fuel you machinations. Giving you gossip and working for you are two very different things." Her smile turned sharp and her eyes glinted as she took him in. He was rather serious after all. "what does someone like you even need me for, I thought you had enough lackeys to go around."

"id like to hire you for 10 months. Surveillance and security, full time"

Her eyebrows rose as she took in the information, it was not what she was expecting.

"You can't afford me Dumbledore." She said simply.

"You would of course have to assume a new identity, I will leave that to your discretion, and you would have to be ready to start almost immediately, there are job applications after all, arrangements that need to be made. Last minute alterations" Dumbledore continued, ignoring her refusal.

Magpie stared at him in mild disbelief. "And where am I supposed to be applying for a job?" her curiosity momentarily overpowering her dislike for the man.

"Durmstrang. Though you wouldn't be there for long, you will be accompanying Igor Karkaroff with his travels at the beginning of this term, to Hogwarts"

Albus would have missed it if he wasn't looking for it, but the name of the castle, a surprise that is was to her, brought a flicker of longing and greed flashing across her expression. He had hoped for that.

"I could duel you for it. You win, ill work for you, I win, I don't," she suggested casually, her mask carefully back in place, as she went back to examining her fingernails. Albus very shook his head "I do not think that is necessary, I am willing to pay" he suggested.

The woman looked up from her fingernails, her eyes flashing, as she named a ludicrously high number, a quantity of money that would make even the richest man pause. "Or of course, you could call in my debt" she suggested as an alternative, watching him very closely, hungrily. As much as she hated this man, she hated owing debt to people. His nose twitched. It was almost imperceptible, but she knew most of Dumbledore's ticks by now. "That sum is acceptable by me. You will receive the money in monthly instalments. However I expect this to be an exclusive contract." He said very seriously.

She stilled in mild disbelief, "I am calling bullshit Dumbledore, and there is no way you have that much money." He smiled serenely as he sat back, as some of his worry was beginning to lift. "Alas, I own many patents. Most I donated, however, not all, and have very little need for money" he shrugged "now, about exclusivity"

They continued their negotiation, back and forth, until the woman known as Magpie reluctantly agreed to the sum and terms. She would trust the daily ins and outs of her business to her employees, and leave her most trusted companion in charge of most things. She would however step back into her business if a personal touch was needed, in emergencies, and only when it did not interfere with her primary goal, to surveil Hogwarts, and help protect a one Mr. Harry Potter. Together the two hatched a plan, and she wondered if she should have asked for more money.

Albus left the prison in a better mood than when he arrived, he was pleasantly surprised he had managed to acquire the services of Magpie if he was being completely honest with himself. It seemed even the most bitter of grudges and resentment can be overcome with the right amount of money and a decidedly choice location to work in. He checked out of the prison with a jump in his step, and he barely paid any attention to a loud siren that interupted the serenity of the surrounding nature, having just disaparated as it sounded. It wasnt until a few day later when a muggle newspaper was delivered to him at breakfast that he was reminded just what type of woman he was working with. The headline was written in German, a local newspaper from the town the prison was located in.

Grisly Murder Of Two Inmates, Murderer, Ida Olmsted, At Large

He lost his appetite as he read through the news article, filled with shocking details of the crime, the face Magpie wore smirked up at him from the front page, mocking. She was sending him a message, reminding him exactly who she was. She was the woman who walked into a muggle prison, presumably on behalf of a client, only to ambush and stab two muggle women to death in the shower. It was brutal, it was grisly, and cold. For the first time since he made the deal, he wondered if approaching her was really the right thing to do. He wondered if that was exactly what she wanted him to think.

Authors Note: Hi folks, thanks for sticking with me so far. This was actually the first scene i ever wrote for Magpie, and just a brief reminder that she is not a good person. Not by a long shot! Id love to hear from some of you guys reading, if you have to time please drop me a line or a review! Also, if it wasnt obvious...I do not speak German. I really wanted to set this in Denmark, a language I am familiar with, but well..Germany made more sense for Dumbledore. Sorry for any German speakers out there...!


	5. Interlude: News Clippings

_March 15_ _th_ _1956_

 _To Professor Albus Dumbledore,_

 _Please find attached our happy news._

 _Sincerely Mr and Mrs Dustin Eckhardt_

Birth Announcements

Mr Dustin Eckhardt, five time duelling world champion and his wife Mrs Beatrix Eckhardt, Scholar of the International Confederation of Magical Anthropology (S. ICMA) , Fellow of the International Geographic Society, (F. IGS), are pleased to announce the birth of a daughter on the 15th of March 1956 while on assignment in the British Colonies on the continent of Africa. The baby is named Dana Ariana Eckhardt, Named after her grandmother, Dana Eckhardt, a muggle, and her great aunt, Ariana Dumbledore. This is the first child for the couple, who are reportedly overjoyed for her arrival. Mrs Eckhardt will be taking a sabbatical from her research to help care for the child, and Mr Eckhardt announced his retirement from the competitive sphere, he is looking forward to spending his free time with his daughter.

XXXXXXX

 **Magical Times**

December 28th 1970

Top 20 Under 20: Meet the Witches and Wizards Transforming Tomorrow

Every year we like to showcase the talents of young witches and wizards that are making waves across the wizarding world. These youngsters represent the best of the up and coming innovations and advancements in the wizarding world, and they are shaping our future for the better.

1: Dana Eckhardt

Age: 14

Coming in at number one is a household name for those readers who follow the international duelling circuits. She is a powerhouse not only in combative wizardry, but is also dominating the field of competitive transfiguration, beating fellow classmate and Uagadou favourite Melaku Asfawa (and number 4 on this list) for the top prize at this years World Transfiguration Fair. Read below for our exclusive interview with this bright champion.

 **Who are your greatest influences?**

 _My parents definitely, hi mom, dad! But they've always taught me to go after my dreams, my dad has spent a lot of time helping me with my duelling skills, teaching me everything I know, and my mom has always supported my more academic pursuits, though I think she wishes I wouldn't do it competitively really._

 **Your father is a world class duellist, five time champion, your mother is considered the chief authority on magical theory, and of course your great uncle is the Albus Dumbledore, a man with so many accomplishments that it would be hard to list here. Do you feel under pressure to live up to your family's legacy?**

 _I've never actually personally met my great uncle Albus, we've exchanged a few letters, but we don't have a relationship, he's a busy man. My parents have been supportive, but there really is no pressure from them. They want me to be me, and for my achievements to be mine. So long as I'm happy with what I'm doing, they're happy._

 **And what amazing things you have achieved? Youngest Duelling champion in the world competition last year, one of the youngest in history, and this year a surprise upset at the Transfiguration World Fair. How does it feel?**

 _I'm in shock about the world fair. Mellie (editors note: Melaku Asfawa) is a great friend of mine, and a world-class witch. Nobody was more surprised by the judges' decision than me. She's amazing, and helped me out a lot over the years. I just had a good day I guess._

 **What is an average day in your life?**

 _I am at school during the week, but come home on the weekends using dream stones. I spend the weekends working with my dad, attending a few classes in town, playing with some friends._

 **You live in the muggle world, do you find this restricting?**

 _The opposite, there is a lot to be learned in the muggle world, and I have many muggle friends. I take some muggle martial arts classes on the side, and play a few sports in the summer, Fencing and football mainly. It's nice to not have to rely on magic for everything sometimes._

 **What are your plans after school?**

 _After school! Ive gotta finish school first! There is a lot between now and graduation, I haven't really thought that far. I am taking it every day at a time, focussing on my sports, my coursework, and sleep. Ask me that question again in a few years._

 **What advice would you give to those who look up to you?**

 _Oh, uh...I guess…don't do drugs? That's important. Do hugs, not drugs. Its kinda surreal that people look up to me honestly. I don't really know what I'm doing, I'm just having fun._

 **So what are you going to do now?**

 _Honestly? I'm going to go home, and go to sleep. And maybe eat some of my dad's cookies; he's been experimenting with baking. So far its been a success._

You heard it here first, five time duelling champion Dustin Eckhardt is spending his retirement baking cookies for his daughter!

XXXXXXX

 **Teen Witch**

May 5th 1972

Dream Team Strikes Again

News hot off the duelling piste, our favourite teen pros are back from fresh success at this year's international duelling championships hosted in Vienna. Dana Eckhardt, 16, dominated the singles duelling, and for the first time competed with duelling newcomer, Teen Witch's heartthrob of the year, two years running, Andreas Mueller (18) in the team duelling event.

Andreas Mueller is new to the professional duelling world, but the Durmstrang graduate, Austrian native, decided to expand his horizons after meeting Miss Eckhardt at a charity event hosted by his father, Octavius Mueller, the Austrian delegate to the International Confederation. Andreas has made a name for himself with his research into magical object identification that has been invaluable in the world of curse breaking. At such a young age he already holds several patented spells that he has donated to the International Confederation of Wizards.

The team duelling event is a new additional to the world championships, introduced a mere forty years ago. Team of no less than two, and no more than four wizards face off on a platform suspended above a lake of water. The round platform is divided in half, with a team on each side, and is broken into three sections. The object of the game is to gain ground on the opposing team by knocking them back, eventually throwing the opponents into the water.

Eckhardt and Mueller took the near unprecedented risk to compete as a two-person team, and were the only ones to do so. Competing against four person teams, the duo not only managed to come out on top, but they did it with choice style, winning them the gold. Mueller's solo run was not so commanding, finishing in an admirable eighth place, not bad for the newcomer. Eckhardt remained undefeated through the event with flawless and innovative form and style, she makes professional duelling look easy.

Unfortunately for our readers, the pair was caught after the competition looking very close leading some to wonder whether they are more than just friends and sporting partners. Both teens refused to answer questions regarding their relationship to Teen Witch reporters, but Mueller did say that we would definitely see more from the pair in the future.

XXXXXXX

 **Wizarding Times**

March 14th 1974

Lost Wizarding Artefact Stolen From Muggle Museum, Muggles Appeal for Help

A brazen theft from a muggle museum of an artefact that wizarding experts now believe to be the long lost magical artefact known as the Necklace of Harmonia. The necklace is an ancient cursed object that disappeared centuries ago, it is rumoured to slow down the effects of aging and bring bad fortune to all that wear it. The Necklace of Harmonia has a storied past, appearing for the first time in the early 4th century C.E. where it wreaked havoc in several noted wizarding families before disappearing some time in the 17th century. Pictured below it is a beautiful artefact make out of intricately wrought gold in the shape of two snakes with jewel inlays.

Many experts believed the object to be a myth, and yet the description matches perfectly that of the stolen muggle artefact. Upon closer examination Aurors discovered the theft was undertaken using magical means, proving the culprits are magical users. How they knew the true identity and value of the object, and its location however remains a mystery. Authorities are taking the matter very seriously and are appealing to the public for help.

The thieves reportedly walked into the museum in broad daylight, incapacitated the two muggle guards, and opened the display case the necklace was in. They were disguised as muggle police officers, and stole a few other muggle artefacts and art pieces while there. They were coordinated and seemed to know the layout of the museum very well, wasting no time in finding the items they were after. So far no other items stolen have been identified as magical but authorities have not ruled out the possibility that other items could be magical in nature. How such magical items ended up in a muggle museum remains another mystery.

"These criminals have no qualm about potentially exposing the wizarding world, breaking the international statute of secrecy with this crime, they appear to be highly organised and resourceful. Until they are caught they represent the largest risk of exposure in recent history. Because of this we are making their capture a top priority of our office. If anyone see's or recognises the witch and wizard pictured below they are advised to not approach them as they are very dangerous. Instead you should contact INTERAUR immediately." Said Chief Auror Weismann, at the international auror (INTERAUR) headquarters.

The muggle authorities have released both sketches and still images of the culprits, and any witch or wizard with any information or leads about these criminals are urged to contact the INTERAUR offices.

XXXXXXX

 **Magical Herald**

July 6th 1975

East vs West and the New Criminal Underground Uniting the Two

A city split in two, Berlin is a hot bed for political contention and military occupation. However a bridge appears to have formed in the criminal underground, bringing goods from western Germany and people from eastern Germany.

There has always been an element of crime around the Berlin wall, however for the first time non-governmental watchdogs are reporting that the criminal underground has been united along both sides of the wall, all under one organisation. Even more surprising is the underground appears to be at least partially magical in origin, funnelling not only muggle goods and people, but magical items such cursed artefacts and even potions ingredients from the USSR into the western world. Goods that have been traced back to this wizarding German underground have appeared on INTERAUR radars, sparking a formal inquest by the International Confederation of Wizards. Many are worried that this potentially represents the largest breach of the statute of wizarding secrecy since its inception in 1698.

There is very little information about this new criminal organisation, and our requests for comment from INTERAUR were met with silence.

XXXXXXX

 **The Daily Prophet**

January 15th 1978

Three Presumed Dead in Death Eater Attack in Kirkwood, East Anglia

An attack in the middle of the night occurred on a quiet farm in the middle of the East Anglian countryside. Authorities have confirmed two deceased people, a male and a female, and a third missing person who is presumed deceased. Details about the raid or the identities of the persons are not known at the time.

The farmhouse was reportedly blow apart from the aftermath of a fierce duel that ended in tragedy. Before marking the house with the mark of You-Know-Who, the culprits set the house on fire, leaving a smouldering shell today. Authorities say this fire will lead to a delay in formal identification of the deceased, but they will release details once they are identified and the families are notified.

XXXXXXX

 **The Daily Prophet**

January 18th 1978

Obituaries: Eckhardt Family

Beatrix Eckhardt ( , ) was born asking questions. She lived her life always trying to understand people and always asking them questions. She is the daughter of Aberforth Dumbledore and Gerhild Cantrell, the pair never married and Miss Cantrell unfortunately passed in childbirth. Despite being the niece of then transfiguration teacher Professor Albus Dumbledore, Beatrix was sent to the French Beauxbaton academy for her wizarding education. There she put her curiosity to good use and was well known for always asking why and for becoming something a polyglot, learning five languages. Shortly after her graduation she completed her internship with the International Geographic Society, publishing a now seminal work on lesser known spell crafting and casting techniques in the jungles of South America.

She met her husband, Dustin Eckhardt while on a research in Scandinavia where she was examining early muggle and wizarding artwork to try and understand spell casting iconography. Initially finding him brash, she warmed to him after discovering their mutual interest in the history and anthropology of spell casting.

The pair quickly got married and continued travelling for a few years, with Beatrix conducting several small-scale anthropological studies on traveller populations across Europe and with Dustin pursuing a professional duelling career. They married in the summer of 1954 in her hometown of Hogsmeade, Scotland. It was a small ceremony, with only close friends and family attending.

Following her inclusion as a Fellow of the International Geographic Society (F. IGS) she continued her work on assignment in the African British Colonies, where she published a few more articles on hand gestures and spell casting, earning her scholarship in the International Confederation of Magical Anthropology (S. ICMA).

While on assignment here she had her daughter Dana Ariana Eckhardt in 1956. The family settled down on the continent, moving to a muggle village in north eastern Africa where Dana was raised. After their daughter left the house to continue her own professional duelling career, the couple moved back to Great Britain in the Winter of 1974, buying a farmhouse a few miles from a small muggle village. The couple lived there in quiet retirement for the remainder of their lives.

Dustin Eckhardt is the only child of Morticia and Patton Eckhardt, both muggles. As a child he took a great interest in several muggle sports, immediately taking to fencing, where he fenced Epee, and football. He took an early interest in martial arts after reading about the ancient art, he enrolled in classes at the early age of 5.

At Hogwarts he was a Hufflepuff prefect and captain of the quidditch team. He took an early interest to the sport of wizard duelling, and campaigned the school to create a team that could compete in the international school duelling championships. He was tireless in his campaigning, gaining support from students in all four houses. In his fifth year, Headmaster Dippet finally relented to the boy's efforts and instituted a school wide duelling club and competition. The winners of the competition represented Hogwarts against other schools.

Eckhardt excelled at the sport and competition, coming in third place in his first year, immediately catching the eye of several talent scouts. Upon graduation he was offered a place on the Great British Reserve Duelling Team and quickly worked his way up the world rankings. After obtaining his first world championship title, he took a short holiday to Scandinavia, where he met his future wife Beatrix Dumbledore.

After getting married he continued his duelling career as a free agent, unattached to any country team, and went of to grab another four world champion titles, three silver titles, and four bronze titles. He retired from competitive duelling with the birth of his daughter in 1956, however remained active in the community, later coaching his daughter to her own dominating victory in 1969. He was inducted into the international duelling hall of fame in 1976. Upon hearing the news of his death the International Duelling Federation announced they will create a small scholarship for the creation and inclusion of duelling in wizarding schools in his name.

Dana Ariana Eckhardt was hailed by many to be one of the greatest witches of her generation, no surprise given her families legacy, she more than lived up to the Eckhardt and Dumbledore name.

Dana had an unusual childhood growing up in a muggle village, she was an active member of the muggle community, attending primary school with her muggle peers, and played on several sport teams. She trained from a young age with her father in the marital arts and fencing. She was a week boarder student at Uagadou, and would often spend the weekend's home where she would play with her Muggle friends.

While at Uagadou she proved herself to be a bright child, she took a keen interest in transfiguration, astronomy, and charms. In her third year she became the captain of the schools duelling team, leading them to victory at the Wizarding Schools Duelling Championships. At the age of 14, Dana became one of the youngest champions in the international duelling championships, beating the much older and more experienced Dutch duellist Caecilius Van der Waal for the title. She defended the title for three years, earning several sponsorship deals.

She was also a member of the Uagadou transfiguration team, and performed well on an international stage at the Wizarding World Show, often coming in first or second place. She excelled particularly at self-transfiguration, showing a depth of knowledge and skill rarely seen in someone so young.

Following school she continued in the professional duelling league, retiring earlier this year, citing a few lingering injuries, and a wish to settle down a bit with long-term boyfriend Andreas Mueller. She was visiting with her parents in England at the time of her death, an unfortunate victim of a seemingly random attack by You-Know-Who's forces.

The Service of the Eckhardt family will be held in the magical village of Hogsmeade at the Hog's Head Pub this coming Saturday. All are welcome.

XXXXXXX

 **The Midnight Prowler**

August 21st 1979

What Lurks in the Dark in SFR Yugloslavia?

Belgrade- Witches, wizards, and muggles alike fear the night in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and reports of the undead are plaguing the muggle countryside. Our sources claim several countryside muggle villages are haunted by multiple disappearances of infants and women, with several sightings from the unknowing muggles leading some to believe the disappearances to be the work of an undead lich.

Lich's, often thought to be creatures of myth, are indeed real. They are magical people who have, through the darkest necromancy, achieved immortality in an undead life. In their afterlife a Lich takes the form of a wandering skeleton, often clothed in robes to better disguise its hideous visage. So far the auror at INTERAUR have ignored all requests for help, and when questioned directly they brushed off all the reports of undead activity as being fantasy.

XXXXXXX

 **World Weekly Wizarding News**

September 18th 1979

Albus Dumbledore Spotted Confronting SFR Yugoslavia Lich

World Weekly reporters have spotted none other than Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump, and Order of Merlin first class battling what looked to be an ancient Lich in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Just last month, our sister publication The Midnight Prowler reported sightings and several disappearances of muggles to be the work of a Lich, otherwise known as an undead wizard. Lich's are exceedingly rare and dangerous, created from the blackest of magic and necromancy; they are wizards who have transcended death to become the undead. Rumours and stories of them go back millennia, though the exact secret to becoming one has been lost to time.

It is unknown how long the Lich has been in SFR Yugoslavia, or just how many muggles it is said to have killed. World Weekly Wizarding News has reached out to the Hogwarts board of governors and Albus Dumbledore himself for comment but at the time of this publication they have not responded to our request.

Just what was Professor Dumbledore doing there, across the Iron Curtain? Was he there to protect the innocent muggles who could not stand up for themselves? Or was he after the secret of the Lich's power?

We will keep you updated as this story continues.

XXXXXXX

 **Magical Herald**

November 3rd 1979

Famed Wizard Murdered in Broad Daylight, Several Muggles in Critical Condition

Andreas Mueller, professional duellist and socialite, was murdered yesterday afternoon in muggle Edinburgh. The Austrian native Mr Mueller was out for lunch with a female companion in a popular muggle restaurant when he suddenly took ill, and complained of tightness in his chest. A muggle doctor, present in the restaurant, suspected Mr Mueller was having a heart attack, and called emergency services.

When the muggle emergency services arrived they found Mr Mueller seizing on the ground, his companion had also taken ill, and the doctor who initially treated him was also complaining of difficulties breathing. After several paramedics (muggle healers) became ill the premises was evacuated and quarantined. Mr Mueller died shortly afterwards. Everyone in direct contact with Mr Mueller in the moments before his death remains in critical condition.

Muggle authorities report that Mr Mueller was contagious for approximately thirty minutes after his death, meaning all who came in contact with his body would become ill. Specially protected and suited authorities were sent in. The muggle government's early reports suggest the use of a special type of muggle poison developed for warfare called a nerve agent. It is too early to tell who is responsible and what nerve agent was used, but they have vowed to investigate until the truth is uncovered.

The ministry of magic is in contact with the muggle prime minister and is keeping a close eye on the case. It is uncertain at this time whether it was someone from the magical community who attacked Mr Mueller or if he was the unfortunate victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We will keep you updated as this story develops.

Mr Mueller has been out of the news recently after the sudden and tragic death of his long-term girlfriend, recently retired duellist Dana Eckhardt, last year. Dana Eckhardt and her parents, famous duellist Dustin Eckhardt and noted scholar Beatrix Eckhardt were the victims of a Death Eater raid at their home in the East Anglian countryside. Mr Mueller was distraught with the news and retreated from public life. This was one of his first outings since the tragedy.

A/N _This is some background information that will be useful to know as the story continues. Back to the main story next chapter...Durmstrang!_


End file.
